Jealousy
by chenzel-is-life
Summary: Someone is extremely jealous of Derek Morgan... who knows what he'll do to get what he wants. Takes place after 'Compromising Positions'. Spoilers for all seasons.
1. Jealousy

**Author's Note:** This takes place directly after "Mayhem". This is the very first Morgan/Garcia series that I'm writing. (Sorry it's so short! It seems really cheesy right now but I started to get better at this.) So enjoy, and please review!

As he watched them flirt from across the room, he pondered if he could actually go through with it. He knew Derek knew that Penelope was dating someone else. So why did he keep bothering her? It infuriated him. He knew that he was jealous of Derek Morgan- but he couldn't admit it to anyone, including himself.

"What do you see in him, anyway?"

"See in who?"

"Derek Morgan!"

Penelope rolled her eyes. "We're JUST friends."

"That's what they all say..."

"Ugh, stop it! I don't know what's gotten into you lately! Quit being so jealous and possessive."

"I'm not jealous!"

"Then stop asking me questions about Derek!"

And right then, he knew that it had to be done.


	2. Jealousy  Part 2

**Author's Note:** I made this chapter part 2 because the previous one was suuuuper short, but I still wanted the cliffhanger. Enjoy! :)

He left in the early hours of the night. He had to do it. It was the only way he could have Penelope all to himself.

He drove unsteadily to Derek Morgan's house; his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. He was a little bit nervous. What if he screwed it up? He shook off the thought and continued driving down the dark road.

In a few minutes, he was there. Trying to make as little noise as possible, he got out of his car and banged on the door loudly, even though there was a doorbell in plain sight. Derek answered the door momentarily. He realized who it was, and glared at him icily.

"Sorry, I think you have the wrong house." Derek started to close the door, but he obnoxiously stuck his foot in the way.

"Hello, Derek."

"What are you doing here? It's 5am!"

"I have a bone to pick with you about Penelope."

He sighed. "Can't this wait until tomorrow?"

"No." he paused, and stepped closer. "Stay away from my girl."

Derek put his hands up. "We're friends, that's all. I swear!"

"Yeah, right."

The sound of a roaring gunshot broke the silence of the night. And within a matter of seconds, it was even quieter than before.


	3. Evidence

**Summary: **The team finds out about Derek; Hotch and Rossi visit the crime scene.

**Author's Note: **Thanks so much for all the great reviews! Keep 'em coming!

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He stared at the lifeless body on the ground; blood seeping from the wound in his chest. He had killed Derek Morgan. He could already hear the siren of an ambulance in the distance - one of his neighbors must've called the cops when they heard the gunshot. He felt a wave of panic wash over him, and without thinking, he dropped the gun, got in his car, and drove away as fast as he could.

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A worried Penelope Garcia fidgeted nervously in her chair in the waiting room at the hospital. She had raced over there as soon as she'd heard the news. But no one knew how Derek was doing. The rest of the team was also waiting anxiously for an update. Everyone was quiet.

Just then, a doctor stepped into the waiting room.

"Derek Morgan?" everyone rose immediately.

"How is he?" Penelope asked the doctor.

"Well, they've just finished operating on him - he lost a lot of blood. But luckily, he survived, and he should be able to leave here in about 24 hours. It's a miracle that none of his major organs were hit."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "He should be awake in the next couple of hours or so."

"Thank you." said Hotch. The doctor nodded and left.

"This is unbelievable," said Emily.

Penelope shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe that someone would just randomly shoot him!"

"There are some sick people in this world..." Emily muttered.

"You three should be here when he wakes up... Rossi and I are going to go take a look at the crime scene." said Hotch.

Penelope, Emily, and Reid all nodded. Hotch and Rossi turned to leave.

"Hotch?" Penelope said. He turned around.

"We're gonna find out who did this, right?" she asked quietly.

He nodded once. "Yes." and they left.

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Hotch and Rossi arrived at Derek's house shortly, and were shocked at what they were told.

"So, you're saying that the un-sub just left the gun here?"

The CSI worker nodded. "Yes, and we've also detected fingerprints."

"He's not very organized," said Rossi.

"And it looks like he was in a hurry, too," Hotch gestured to the tire marks on the asphalt. "He probably panicked."

"That would explain why he dropped his gun," Rossi added. "And Derek might've even been familiar with him - he shot him right in his doorway, they could've been having a conversation."

Hotch nodded. "It's as if he didn't even plan this at all - he left evidence... I highly doubt that this is the work of a serial killer."

"Far from it," Rossi agreed. "And once Derek wakes up, he might be able to tell us the person who did this to him. Judging by the information we've gathered here, I doubt he would have thought to wear some kind of disguise."

"Well, we'll soon find out..."


	4. Confessions

**Summary:** Penelope finally gets to see Derek, and he reveals some shocking information.

**Author's Note:** All of your reviews are great! Thanks so much to everyone.

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Two hours later, Penelope now sat alone in the hospital waiting room. She had somehow managed to convince Emily and Reid to go home, and promised to call them as soon as Derek woke up.

The same doctor from earlier in the morning came in and went straight over to Penelope. She stood up.

"He's just woken up... Are you Penelope? He's been asking for you."

"Yes, that's me."

"Alright; follow me please." she followed him down a long corridor and was led to Derek's room. She walked in timidly.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey, Baby Girl," he smiled slightly, but then winced from a sharp pain.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"I've had better days..."

She patted his hand. "It'll be over before you know it; trust me."

Of course, Derek was glad to see Penelope... But he was reminded of what he had to do. He didn't want to tell her - it would break her heart. But she had to know. She was going to find out eventually... But he thought it would be best that he was the one who told her.

"Well, I'm gonna go call everyone and-"

"Don't call them just yet... There's something you need to know."

Penelope looked puzzled. She walked back over to his bedside. "What's wrong?"

He sighed. "The guy who shot me... It was... It was Kevin Lynch."

The colour drained from her face. "W-what do you mean?"

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I had to tell you."

Tears started to well up in her eyes. "Y-you're sure it was him?" her voice was barely audible.

Derek nodded grudgingly and took her hand. He had never liked Lynch... There was just something not right about him; he had known it from the start. But that didn't mean that he was happy about telling her. No one could ever deserve to hear that - especially not Penelope. And besides, he hated seeing his Baby Girl upset.

Penelope's one free hand went up to cover her mouth; stifling a sob. The tears began streaming down her face.

Derek frowned sympathetically. Nothing was worse than this. He especially hated not being able to do anything about it. If it was up to him, he would have Lynch's head for hurting Penelope like he did. But he knew that would just make things even worse than they already were.

"I just don't understand how he could do this to you... To me! And then there's the team, and your family..." she shook her head in disbelief.

"At the beginning, it was great. He was a good guy... But then he started getting all jealous and possessive... It was like he was a whole different person... I don't know what happened..." she trailed off. Her face was streaked with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Derek. This is all my fault."

"Penelope, there is absolutely no need to apologize. This is not your fault whatsoever. I need you to stop blaming yourself for things that neither you nor I can control. I could see that you were happy with Kevin, and I'm sorry if I ever interfered with your relationship with him. And if he's changed now, that's his problem to solve, and only he can solve it. Do you understand me?" she nodded and wiped her face.

"Good." he squeezed her hand gently. Penelope suddenly realized that she was forgetting something.

"Well, I'm gonna go call Reid and Prentiss and tell them that you're awake... I'll be back soon." she half-smiled at him.

Derek nodded, and she left. He sighed heavily. He had a feeling that things were going to be a lot different...


	5. Conclusions

**Summary:** The rest of the team finds out about Morgan's tragic revelation. Garcia has a chat with Prentiss... And Lynch.

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About twenty minutes later, the rest of the team was back at the hospital. Emily noticed how distressed Penelope was, and she rushed over to her immediately; Hotch, Reid, and Rossi following close behind.

"Penelope, what happened?" she exclaimed.

"Is everything alright?" Rossi asked.

"I-I'm fine... You should go see Derek." they looked unsure.

"I'll see him later... You three should go ahead." said Emily. They nodded hesitantly and walked in the direction of Derek's room.

"Penelope, I know you're hiding something. If you don't tell me now, I'm going to find out eventually."

She knew she was right. "God I hate profilers..." she said under her breath. She sighed. "It was Kevin."

Emily's eyes widened. "He shot Derek?" she nodded sadly.

"Penelope, I'm so sorry."

She was quiet for a moment. "Kevin is the only man who will ever love me... And now he's gone."

"Derek loves you."

She shook her head. "Not in that way..."

"Penelope, I think you're in denial... Anybody can see that he does. And it doesn't take a profiler to figure that out." she gave her a small smile.

Just then, the three men came back into the waiting room. They all stared at Penelope sympathetically.

"Excuse me," she got up. The situation was just far too humiliating.

"Penelope," she turned. Hotch rarely called her by her first name.

"We need you to track Kevin Lynch."

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Kevin Lynch was pacing in his hotel room, plotting his next move, when his phone rang suddenly. It was Penelope. Without thinking of the consequences, as he usually didn't, he answered the call.

"I was waiting for you to call."

Just hearing the sound of his now raspy and bitter tone nearly brought her to tears. But she needed to do this – for the team, and for Derek. She sucked in a deep breath and started shakily, "Cut the crap, Kevin." she paused. Just being reminded of what he had done made her sick to her stomach. She didn't want to talk to him – she didn't even know what to say.

"Why did you do this."

"Why wouldn't I? It was only a matter of time until he stole you away from me! I had to do _something_!"

Her disgust suddenly morphed into anger quicker than she ever thought possible. "That is the most unbelievable excuse I've ever heard! Are you really _that _immature?"

"I did it for your own good."

"Oh really? And what good would've come from that? Do you really think that I would've stayed with you if you had've killed my best friend?" she paused to take a deep breath; she was starting to cry out of frustration. "Violence is never the answer, Kevin. I thought you knew that."

"I told you, I had no choice," he muttered.

"I cannot believe how ridiculous you're being! How could you do this to me? You could've killed him! And you think that _that _would've solved all your problems?"

"Derek Morgan is a problem."

Her mouth hung open in shock. She felt stupid that she had ever become involved with him in the first place. Her anger seemed to vanish and instead she felt sad and betrayed – this man was a stranger to her. She just couldn't accept the fact that the Kevin she thought she knew no longer existed.

"Well," she said quietly; her voice shook unsteadily. "You've made it plenty clear that you're not mentally sane… And if that weren't reason enough, you nearly killed-" she swallowed, unable to finish the thought.

"I really hope you're happy, 'cause we're done. _Forever_." she slammed the phone shut; her hands shaking.

After a short moment, she blinked back her tears and said, "Sir, I have the address... He ran away to a hotel in Ohio." Hotch was on the other line. Her voice was barely audible. "I sent it to your phone."

"Good work, Garcia. You can go home now if you'd like." Hotch could tell just by the sound of her voice that she needed a rest.

"Thank you, sir." the line disconnected.


	6. Too Good to Be True

**Summary:** Penelope gets a surprise visitor.

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Hours later, Penelope opened her front door to find Derek Morgan standing in the doorway.

"Derek...?" his arms were outstretched, and she nearly collapsed into his embrace.

"Hey, sweetheart." they broke away, and she let him inside.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?"

He shrugged. "I convinced them to let me go early. I had something extremely important to do."

"Which was...?" she asked him questioningly. They sat down on the couch.

"I had to see you." he took her hand. "I heard what happened. I'm sorry about all of this, Baby Girl."

"It's not your fault... Even if Kevin hadn't have shot you, I probably would've broken up with him anyway. He was starting to act ridiculous."

He frowned apologetically. "I'm sorry that I ruined your relationship with him."

"Derek, it wasn't your fault... Don't worry about it. I'm just a little upset right now... I'm trying to get used to the idea of being alone for the rest of my life."

"What on earth are you talking about, woman?"

"Come on, Derek. Look at me. What decent guy is ever going to take interest in me? Kevin was the only shot I ever had at love, and now he's gone. So what am I supposed to do now?"

His frown deepened. "Penelope, don't say things like that."

"But it's true..." she whispered. "I know it, you know it, everybody knows it."

He turned her chin so that she was looking at him. "No, it's not." he said. "I love you."

"Derek, we've been over this before..."

"Do you trust me?"

She looked up at him timidly. "...Yes."

"Then trust me when I say this: I love you, Penelope. I always have and I always will."

She looked away from him. "I... I don't believe you." a tear slowly trickled down her cheek.

"Do you know why I'm here?"

"Honestly... no."

"The minute I got out of that hospital, the first thing I wanted was to see you. You mean the world to me, Penelope. I don't know why you don't understand that." he wiped away her stray tear with his thumb.

She was quiet for a moment. "You're just saying all that to make me feel better..."

He sighed. "You are so stubborn, woman. But you know I'm never gonna stop trying."

"So I guess you probably want to leave, now..."

"What makes you think that I'm leaving anytime soon?" she just looked at him questioningly.

"I'm not leaving until you believe me."

She sighed and got up. "I'm going to bed. Good night, Derek." she mumbled.

"Good night, Baby Girl," he called after her.

Penelope walked to her room feeling guilty. She hated pushing him away. She did love Derek; very much. But she was too afraid of letting him in. She knew that Derek wasn't the type of guy who was interested in settling down with someone, even though he had told her repeatedly that he had changed. She didn't want to get her hopes up too high. She was too afraid to even give him a chance, in fear of getting her heart broken, once again.

And now that Kevin was gone, she felt frustrated, torn, and most of all, empty. She didn't want to risk being hurt by Derek, even though the chances of that happening were pretty slim. But she couldn't handle the loneliness, either. She wanted to believe Derek - she wanted to believe him so bad - but she just couldn't. It would just seem too perfect; too good to be true.


	7. Finally

**Summary:** Derek confesses to Penelope a very deep revelation.  
**Author's Note:** I think this chapter's kind of cheesy… Oh well. Please review!

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"Derek, why are you still here?" Penelope asked. She was laid back against his chest as they lay on the couch, watching TV. He had stayed there all night long, was still with her all morning, and he had even made her breakfast. He was making it even harder for her to keep turning him down.

"Because I love you, silly girl," he said, as if it were an obvious fact. "And I'm not leaving until you believe me."

"I bet Clooney's getting lonely..."

"He can wait." she sighed. She felt like she was using Derek, which made her feel even worse. She wanted to give in to him, but couldn't.

"What can I do to make you understand?" he laced his fingers through hers.

She laughed solemnly. "Why do you want me so bad?"

He was silent for a moment. "How could I ever put it into words?" she sat up in his lap so that she was facing him.

"I couldn't live without you, Penelope. When my father died... I prayed every day for something good to happen, something to help make it easier. That's when I started doubting my beliefs in Him... But then, I met you." he squeezed her hand.

"I didn't realize it at first... But you were the answer to my prayers. I used to just go through life not caring about anything. But you made me realize that I had to learn how to value my life, and not take it for granted. You always look at things from a positive perspective, no matter what the situation. You're always thinking about others. You're one of the most loving and kind-hearted people I know, and I admire you for that. You're the kind of person I need around in my life. Not just some girl who might not still be there when I wake up in the morning. We have one of the most dark and depressing jobs out there. But you always make the best of it. You are one of the few good things in my life, and I never want to lose you. I love you, Penelope. What else is there to explain?"

Penelope stared at him with tears in her eyes. How could this be possible? She had always thought that she was just a joke to him, someone to fool around with. Nothing like this. She examined his face slowly. His expression was calm, but his dark eyes were begging and pleading. She just couldn't handle it anymore. She had to tell him the truth.

"Derek, I... How..." she tried to say something, but she just couldn't speak. He put a finger to her lips.

"Shhh..." before she could realize what was happening, he leaned in closer, and kissed her slowly. Derek felt her body tense in surprise, but she eventually relaxed. They broke away momentarily. Penelope stared at him, stunned. The thought of slapping him crossed her mind briefly, but she couldn't move.

"Derek, I... I love you." he grinned smugly at her.

"Finally."

"But... How did you know it was... me."

"It was like... When you're constantly searching and searching for something... And one day, you realize that the answer was right in front of you the whole time. Words can't explain how I feel about you, Baby Girl." his fingers laced through hers once again. Her heart was still racing from when he had kissed her.

"Derek... I want you to know that I truly appreciate everything you've done for me. The truth is... I've always loved you. But I was too afraid of letting you in... I was afraid of getting my hopes up too high because if you left..." she trailed off, unable to finish the thought. "It just seemed too good to be true."

"Sweetheart, you know that I would never hurt you like that."

"I know... But I was too afraid of even risking it. I'm so sorry, Derek."

"You don't need to apologize, baby. It's all in the past now." he gave her a reassuring smile.

"Now," he twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. "I believe we have some unfinished business to attend to." he smiled deviously and leaned in to kiss her again.

XXXXX

Penelope awoke the next morning feeling truly happy for the first time in a long time. Memories from the previous day flooded her mind, and she smiled at the thought. She still couldn't believe what had happened. Derek had stayed with her a little while longer, but then she finally managed to convince him to go home and take care of his dog. Now it was Monday, and the team had been called back for another case. Hotch had told her that she could sit out the case if she wanted, but she had assured him that she was ready to go back - and she was actually looking forward to going back to work.

XXXXX

Penelope walked into the BAU to find Derek there, waiting for her.

"Good morning, Princess," he said as she walked towards him.

"I'll show you a good morning, Hot Stuff." she said, as she did every morning. Derek leaned in to give her a quick peck on the lips. She blushed slightly.

"Derek, people can see us..." she whispered.

"So?"

"So, there's fraternization rules..." he chuckled.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, Penelope." he winked at her.

XXXXX

"Hey, Baby Girl. I need you to pull up movie times for tonight."

"Making plans, are we?" she asked smugly as she typed away on her keyboard.

"You got it. I just wish I knew what she'd be interested in seeing..."

"Well, Derek, you've come to the right place." she said as she scrolled through the list of movies.

"I think that she would love to see RED, at around... maybe 7-o-clock-ish?" Penelope smiled to herself.

"Thanks, girl. See you tonight."


	8. Starting Over

**Summary:** Penelope and Derek go on their first date together.

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Penelope thought that her heart might just beat out of her chest as she rushed to answer the door. She didn't even think it would ever be humanly possible for her to go on a date with Derek Morgan. Yet there he was, standing in her doorway like a human ship of gorgeousness wearing a leather jacket.

"Well hello there, beautiful," he said smoothly.

Penelope couldn't do anything but smile under his gaze. She grabbed her jacket and said, "Let's go."

XXXXX

"So what's this movie even about?" Derek whispered to Penelope as they watched the previews.

"Retired CIA agents, or RED - retired and extremely dangerous."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought you would have picked a chick flick or something..."

"Don't worry Derek, I know how much you love chick flicks... Next time I'll be sure to pick a more romantic movie." she grinned at him deviously. "I think you'll like this one, though. It's supposed to be funny."

He shook his head at her teasingly, and couldn't help but grin broadly. He was glad to see that she was happy again and back to her normal self. He hoped that they both could eventually put Lynch and the rest of their past behind them.

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"Well, I gotta hand it to you - that was a pretty good movie." Derek admitted as they both got into his car. He was surprised that he could remember most of what had happened - considering the fact that he had been staring at Penelope practically through the whole movie.

"See, I knew you'd like it." she smiled knowingly. "Thanks for taking me out tonight, Derek. I needed that."

"Thank _you_, Penelope." he leaned in to kiss her for what was probably the 5th time that night. He couldn't help it.

She grinned at him sheepishly; her cheeks had turned just a little bit red. "Wanna come back to my place?" he asked a little deviously.

"Sorry hot stuff, but we both have to work tomorrow," she said. "And besides, the doctor wants you to take it easy. You need your rest." she patted his shoulder.

He grunted in silent protest. He would have ravished her right then and there if she'd have let him.

Suddenly, her cellphone rang. "Hello?" she said. "Sure, Hotch. Alright. Bye." she shut the phone closed.

"Change of plans," she said. "There's been another victim." Derek exhaled sharply, and began driving in the direction of the local police station.

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Penelope and Derek earned a few suspicious glances as they entered the station together. Naturally, Derek ignored them, but Penelope felt a little uneasy under everyone's gaze.

"Rachel Ryerson was found this afternoon in one of the back alleys in downtown D.C.," she started. "She was stabbed twice in the stomach, and there were cuts and bruises found all over her body."

"He's getting sloppier and not as precise..." said Rossi.

"And instead of dumping the body in the woods like the previous victims, he left her in a more public place," Reid added.

"He didn't take much of a cooling off period, either," Emily pointed out. "The last victim was found not even five days ago."

"The un-sub completely changed his M.O. He went from using a gun to stabbing the victims in the stomach." Derek shook his head. "He's probably a delusional schizophrenic."

"He's evolving too quickly. We'll need to deliver the profile first thing tomorrow morning, so I suggest that all of you go home and get some rest." said Hotch. Everyone began to collect their things to leave.

"Hey, Garcia," Emily pulled her aside. "Were you with Morgan before Hotch called us in?"

"Uh, yeah, we saw a movie... Why do you ask?"

"No reason." she was smiling, but she had a strange look on her face; it was as if she knew a secret, but she couldn't tell her, yet she knew that she was going to find out eventually.

"What's that look for?" Penelope asked her. Her smile grew even wider, and she shook her head.

"Nothing. I'll see you tomorrow." she waved as she left the station. Derek walked up to her just then.

"What was that about?" he asked her.

"I don't know," she said truthfully.

"Come on, I'll drive you home."


	9. New Beginnings

**Summary:** Derek and Penelope take the next step in their relationship.

**Author's Note: **Thank you all for reviewing! I really appreciate it. Also, sorry for the delay on this chapter, I had already written it but I thought it was _really_ bad so I rewrote the whole thing (even though I still think it's pretty bad). xD Enjoy!

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It was a calm, quiet night in Washington D.C. while Derek and Penelope walked back to their car, hand-in-hand. They had just gone out for coffee and had rented a movie earlier. They walked in silence, but it was not an awkward silence. They were perfectly content just being in each other's presence.

Derek couldn't believe that they had been going out for almost a month now – their anniversary would be next week. He would have to plan something special – he wanted Penelope to know that their relationship was very important to him.

After about 2 more minutes of walking, it started pouring down rain without warning, soaking them completely. They weren't wearing jackets – it was mid-April, and fairly warm outside. Penelope let out a tiny shriek as they half-ran and half-walked back to Derek's car.

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"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you home?" Derek asked her as he tossed his keys onto a table.

"Oh Derek, do you really think that a little bit of rain could get in the way of us having our hot movie night?" she teased him, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. He just stared at her blankly.

"…Is that a 'no'?" Penelope arched an eyebrow at him. Was he missing something? He looked her up and down. _Oh._

He walked over to where she stood. "Well," he leaned in closer, "I kind of had something.. _else _in mind…" he put his arms around her waist and pulled her against him.

"Oh really," she said, playing along with it. "Like what?" she asked innocently.

"Let me show you," he kissed her slowly at first, and then more passionately; each one being more and more demanding than the first.

When they finally broke away, Penelope whispered breathlessly, "Sounds good to me."

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Penelope awoke to find herself wrapped tightly in Derek's arm, with their bodies tangled up in a mess of sheets – and she had never felt better. She smiled to herself hazily, and then at the sight of Derek lying next to her, sleeping soundly. As she tried to sit up, she was overcome by a wave of dizziness, and flopped back down in defeat.

Derek stirred for a moment, and then opened his eyes. Penelope – who had somehow managed to wiggle out of his strong arms – was, once again, found trapped in his embrace.

"Good morning, Princess," he kissed her on the cheek and nestled his face in her neck, inhaling her scent. She turned around, revealing her sleepy yet content expression.

"So it wasn't a dream."

He chuckled, "It was far beyond any of _my _wildest dreams."

"Oh, I'm sure," she joked.

He paused for a moment. "Penelope, I know it's still kind of early to be bringing this up, but... I want you to live here, with me."

"Really?" a smile spread across her face.

"Really." a wave of relief washed over him – he was glad that his question hadn't ruined the moment.

"Derek, I would love to!" her eyes were lit up with excitement. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, baby girl."


	10. Revelations

**Summary:** Emily confronts Penelope about her relationship with Derek; the team goes out for lunch together.

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Penelope Garcia sat alone yet content in her office, fiddling with her toys and humming to herself, when her phone rang. Daydreaming, she didn't notice it until the third ring.

"Speak!" she exclaimed, not necessarily knowing, nor caring, who was on the other line.

"Hey, Garcia," it was Emily. "You didn't pick up until the third ring... is everything alright?"

"Yes, sorry, I forget that stuff like that freaks you out. I was just daydreaming, that's all. What can I do for you?"

Emily opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it shut.

"Uhhh..." she double-checked that she was out of earshot of the rest of the team. "Penelope, you've been acting a little... unusual, lately... is there something you're not telling me?"

"What do you have in mind, my friend?"

"Well... when Hotch called us in to the police station a month ago, you were with Derek. When you call him, he almost always leaves the group to talk to you. Your conversations are longer, and Derek is always anxious on the plane rides back home. And..." she paused.

"I saw him kiss you last week."

"Hmmm..." she was quiet for a moment.

"I hate profilers, you know that?" Emily could hear the smile in her voice.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she said excitedly.

"I knew that I didn't have to, because I knew that you'd figure it out soon enough. Which you did."

She paused, "Did you guys catch the un-sub yet?"

"Yeah, that's why I was calling... We're just finishing up here. We'll be back there in about an hour."

"Alrighty, Em. See you soon."

"Bye," Emily clicked the phone shut with a small smile.

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As Emily had predicted, the team was back at the BAU about an hour later.

"Hey, baby girl," Derek strolled into her office to give her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Hey," she smiled.

"You ready to go? We're all gonna go out for lunch."

"Sure am." she shut down her computers and grabbed her coat and purse. They walked into the bullpen to meet Reid and Prentiss.

"Hey, Rossi," Derek called out. "You coming out for lunch with us?"

"Sure, why not." he smiled.

"How about you, Hotch?"

"Sorry, but I have reports to finish..." he mumbled with a slight frown on his face.

"Come on, man! Live a little." Derek whined. Hotch eyed his coworkers warily.

"Well, alright... I suppose I could finish them later." he grabbed his coat and joined the rest of the group.

XXXXX

The team all got sandwiches and sat around a large table at a small deli in D.C.

"So," Hotch said casually. "How long have you two been dating?"

Derek, who was just about to take a bite of his sandwich, froze. He put it back down and ran a hand over his head. Reid nearly spit out his drink. Penelope suddenly realized that her mouth was hanging wide open, and closed it shut immediately.

She swallowed, "Sir?"

Everyone had suddenly forgotten about their lunches.

"What? Do you think I'm joking?" a smile spread across his usually stern face.

Prentiss, Reid, and Rossi all exchanged looks. Penelope and Derek fidgeted in their seats.

"Come on guys, spit it out..." Prentiss egged them on playfully.

Penelope bit her lip and looked at Derek. He met her gaze for a moment, and then looked down at the table.

"It'll be a month on Friday." he mumbled, still looking at the table, without making any eye contact.

"Awww, you remembered!" Penelope squeaked adoringly. What was there not to love about this man.

Emily could not suppress the huge grin on her face. "Looks like Derek Morgan's getting soft in his old age," she teased. The team laughed.

"Hey, you better watch yourself, Prentiss!"

"Ooh, I'm so scared," she laughed. Derek rolled his eyes.

"Well it's about time," Rossi interjected. "How long have you two known each other? 5 years? Six?" he teased.

"He's actually right," Reid spoke up. "I thought you guys were going to start dating a long time ago!"

Everyone laughed. "If the genius says so," Emily joked.

Hotch was smiling. "I'm happy for you," he said.

"Thank you," Penelope smiled at him. "But what about the frat rules?"

"I'll clear it with Strauss, as long as you keep it professional while we're on a case."

"Really? Thank you so much!" she exclaimed.

"It's really not a problem." he smiled. "Okay let's eat, I'm starving!" they all murmured sounds of agreement, and dug into their sandwiches.


	11. Nightmares

**A/N: **Hi guys! I'm really sorry it took me this long to update. I've been uber-busy lately, plus I've had writer's block. But anyway, here it is! I hope you like this chapter, and reviews are lovely!

XXXXX

_One month_, Derek thought aimlessly, staring at the ceiling. He just couldn't sleep. But how could he sleep at a time like this, when their anniversary was not even two days away? This was important to him. He wanted Penelope to know that. He wanted her to know that _she_ was important to him. He wanted to tell her exactly how much she meant to him. He couldn't live without her. Penelope was not at all like any of the girls that Derek had dated in the past. There was something special about her. Derek had never loved anyone the way he loved her. He liked that Penelope loved him for who he was, and not just his looks. He had screwed up their relationship too many times before – but not this time. This time, he wouldn't screw it up.

XXXXX

Penelope bolted upright in her bed suppressing a shriek; her heart racing and her fists clenched, gripping her sheets tightly. She looked around the room frantically, but no one was there. Her eyes wandered down to the figure lying next to her, who, to her relief, was sound asleep. She exhaled and sank back into her pillows. It was just a dream.

"Derek?" she whispered. He had begun to stir quietly, and he slowly began to sit up. He noticed her panicked expression immediately.

"What is it, baby, what happened?" he asked worriedly, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I-I had a nightmare... about Kevin," she said shakily. Derek frowned.

"I dreamt that, I went to bed here, with you, but when I woke up, I was in some kind of underground cave, and I was tied up in a chair... You were tied up in a chair, too, and then Kevin came in with a gun," her voice broke. "He said, 'Is this really what you want? A man who can't even protect you?' but I couldn't speak, because he had duct-taped our mouths. Then he walked over to you, and put the gun to your head, and he said, 'Trust me, this is for your own good.' And I... I woke up as soon as he had pulled the trigger."

"_Due to the evidence gathered at the crime scene, the court pleads guilty. Kevin Lynch will be sentenced to three years in prison for attempted murder. Because of his diagnosis of schizophrenia, he will be committed to a mental hospital after he has completed his sentence." _

_The judge hit the gavel. "Court adjourned."_

_As Kevin Lynch was being escorted from the courtroom, Derek noticed the dark circles around his eyes. For a minute, their eyes met. Lynch glared at him scathingly, his eyes smouldering with anger. But then, as if he were to remember something, his mouth suddenly turned up into a devilish sneer. Derek felt a rush of mixed emotions towards this man – anger, misunderstanding, disgust, and even fear. But he kept a straight face. He couldn't let Lynch get inside his head. The look had only lasted a few seconds, but it had felt much longer than that. Derek felt glad that he had not let Penelope come to the court session – it was just too risky. If Lynch ever found out about their relationship, it could trigger a reaction – a reaction that might not have a very good outcome. And aside from that fact, Derek did not want Lynch to come anywhere near Penelope ever again. He would make sure of it._

Remembering Lynch's sly expression sent a shiver down his spine. Derek looked at Penelope with concern. Her eyes had welled up with tears.

"I'm scared, Derek," she choked out. "What if it comes true?"

"Baby girl, I will always be here to protect you, no matter what." He cupped her face in his hands gently. "That man will not hurt you ever again, I promise you that. Do you hear me?"

She nodded, and squeezed her eyes shut as a tear trickled down her face.

"Hey," he called softly. She opened her eyes, and he wiped away the tear with his thumb. "I love you, Penelope."

"I love you, too." Her voice was barely a whisper. The rest of her tears began streaming slowly down her face, one by one. Derek wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the top of her head as she cried silently into his chest. As he began to stoke her back, he wondered idly if this nightmare would ever come to an end.

XXXXX

"Good morning, sweetheart," Derek greeted a sleepy-looking Penelope.

"Good morning," she mumbled as she walked over to give him a quick kiss.

"Did you sleep well?" Derek slid his left arm around her waist while he tended to the stove.

"Aside from my hellish nightmare, yes, I slept very well."

"I wish I could say the same, but I was up all night worrying about _you_," he said teasingly.

"Oh Derek, you don't need to worry about me..." she sat on one of the kitchen stools.

"Tough luck, baby girl," he said as he placed a plate of pancakes in front of her. "I'm a worrier."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you when all of your hair falls out – oh wait, it already did!" she smiled deviously while she drenched her pancakes in syrup.

"Oh, now that's just cold." Derek joined her at the table.

"Come on, you love me."

He just grinned. He couldn't deny it.


	12. Defeat

_**A/N: **__Hello again. :) Once again I'd like to apologize for the wait. I can assure you that there will not be any more super-long waits, because I have written the next chapter after this and I also have started the one following it. Also if anyone wanted to know, the necklace in this story was inspired by a similar one that I have. It looks kind of like this: _**/5twkncd**._ I hope you guys like this one! And a super HUGE thank you to all that read and review, it really makes me so happy. :)_

XXXXX

Derek stood patiently by his doorway, waiting for Penelope. He had been doing so for the past five minutes, but he didn't mind. He had secretly been anticipating this night. After all, he had never been in a relationship that was as serious as theirs. His relationship with Penelope was special. He liked the fact that they could trust each other with anything – she was the only person that Derek could truly confide in. He believed them to be soul mates.

Finally, Penelope appeared, looking quite dressed up.

"Sorry I took so long," she grinned at him sheepishly.

"You look gorgeous." he bent down slightly to kiss her.

She smiled. "As do you." Did she really have to say it?

He opened the door. "After you."

XXXXX

"Are you two ready to order?" the young waitress asked them. She eyed Derek up and down in approval, but he ignored her. This happened almost every time they'd go out together, and he was tired of it. Couldn't they see that he was taken?

Penelope ordered first, and Derek was careful to make little to no eye contact with the waitress. After what seemed like forever, she finally left.

"Looks like it's just you and me." He smiled.

"That's how I like it." She grinned deviously.

"Well, since today is a special occasion... I got you a little something."

"Derek, that is completely and totally unnecessary and – '' he placed a small blue box wrapped with a white ribbon in front of her. Her mouth hung open.

"Is that a Tiffany's box?"

He grinned. "Go ahead, open it."

Carefully, she untied the ribbon and took the lid off. She took out a thin silver necklace with a diamond heart dangling from it.

"Oh... Derek..."

"I thought that it might suit your tastes." He smiled.

"I love it, I really do." She beamed. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure, sweetheart." He reached across the table to take her hand.

"Now I feel bad because I didn't get you anything." She pouted.

"Baby, that doesn't matter to me. You're the greatest gift I could ever have."

She smiled. "Honestly, what did I ever do to deserve you?"

"I should be saying that same thing... Penelope, I don't know if you've realized this, but, this night is really important to me. You're important to me. I want you to understand that.. I love you and I never want to lose you." He squeezed her hand.

"Derek, I promise, you will never lose me. I love you more than anything and there will never be anyone that can make me feel happier."

He kissed her hand. "Thank you, Penelope."

"For sticking with me, through all these years. You have no idea how much it means to me."

She smiled. "It's what I'm here for."

XXXXX

After an eventful night, Derek was enjoying sleeping in on his day off. That is, until he was awakened by his cell phone.

Without opening his eyes, he reached over to his nightstand and flipped it open.

"Yeah..." he said hazily.

"Turn on channel 3," it was Hotch. "And hurry up."

"Okay, okay," Derek dragged himself out of bed wearily and walked into his living room. He turned on the TV to channel 3. Suddenly, he was more awake. His brow furrowed as he read the headlines in shock, over and over again, trying to comprehend what was happening. Hotch waited patiently over the phone.

"Son of a bitch..." he muttered, and sunk into the couch, feeling defeated.

"Where's Penelope?"

"She's here, with me."

"Good. Don't go anywhere. I sent an officer to go undercover by your house until we've got all of this straightened out. He should be there shortly."

"Thanks, Hotch." He clicked the phone shut and continued to stare at the TV screen. He sighed in frustration. Just when he thought things were finally getting better, something had to screw it up.

"What's going on?" he was startled by the quiet voice of a sleepy-looking Penelope. She looked concerned. He stood up and ran his hand along the back of this head. He hated having to always tell her the bad news.

"Baby..." he trailed off. "Lynch escaped from jail."


	13. Fear

_**A/N: **__I'm really loving this story so far, and I can't wait to finish it! Once again thanks to you all for reading and reviewing. Enjoy!_

XXXXX

"What?" Penelope's eyes went wide with fear and shock. Derek walked over to where she was standing.

"Don't worry, everything's going to be just fine." He stroked her face gently. She looked up into his eyes. His expression was calm, but his eyes were filled with worry.

"What are we going to do?" she asked him quietly.

"Right now, we're not going to do anything. We're just going to stay here, and try to relax. Okay?" she nodded, and he pulled her into his arms.

"I'm scared, Derek," her voice broke. "I don't want him to hurt you again..."

"Don't cry, baby. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere, I promise." He kissed the top of her head.

XXXXX

Not too long after, the doorbell rang.

"Stay here, I'll get it." Derek said to Penelope as he walked in the direction of the door. It was the officer that Hotch had sent.

"I'm Officer Torres; I'll be out here for the rest of the day. Another officer will take the night shift."

"Thank you, I really appreciate it." The officer nodded and left. He sighed as he closed the door. Derek didn't think that having an officer there was necessary, but he knew that it was safer that way. He would do whatever he could to keep Penelope safe.

"Who was it?" she asked him.

"It was just the officer that's watching the area for the day."

"Oh."

"You okay?" he joined her on the couch.

"It's just... this whole situation is reminding me of when I got shot."

Derek frowned. Seeing her upset made him stressed out.

"Penelope, I'm sorry it has to be this way. You don't deserve this. I know you're scared and I know you're worried, but we're gonna get through this, baby girl. You just gotta be strong. This will all be over soon." He took her hand, and pulled her into his embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Derek," she whispered.

He pulled back to look at her. "For what, baby?"

"I never should have gotten involved with him in the first place... He was a stranger to me and things got serious way too quickly and... Now look at the mess we're in. This is all my fault."

"Sweetheart, this is no one's fault. No one could have seen this coming, any of it. Lynch is not the person he used to be, and you can't blame yourself for that." He studied her. "You know, it stresses me out when you're upset like this."

"I'm sorry, I... I just get upset about everything when I'm stressed out."

"I have an idea. How about we pretend that this is just a normal day, by ourselves."

"That sounds perfect to me." She lay back against his chest. "I never got a chance to tell you, but..." she looked him in the eye deviously. "Last night was magnificent."

"Oh was it?" he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yup."

"Well I agree," he grinned, and leaned in to kiss her.

"I love you, baby girl."

"I love you, too, baby boy."

XXXXX

_2 days later -_

"Oh my god, Derek was that a – " he cut her off. He turned off the TV, and grabbed a gun from a drawer. He gave it to Penelope. She looked at him like he was crazy, and he gave her an apologetic look.

"Stay here." He told her. He grabbed his own gun out of his holster and headed out the front door silently.

He looked around, but no one was there. He walked down the driveway to the officer's car. It was empty.

Being extra cautious now, he looked over to the backyard gate. It was open. He went into the backyard to find the night shift officer unconscious. He had been shot in the leg.

"Shit..." he muttered under his breath as he put his gun away and rushed over to him. He flipped open his cell phone and called 911 while he put pressure on the officer's wound.

_Meanwhile..._

"Who's there," Penelope aimed the gun shakily in the direction of the front door, where she could hear footsteps. Her heart was pounding and her eyes were wide with fear.

A figure moved from the shadows.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Miss Penelope Garcia."


	14. The Final Nightmare

_**A/N: **__I am so glad that you guys are liking this so far :) It's almost done and I can't wait to finish! This chapter really freaked me out when I was writing it, but I love it. I hope you do too! Thanks again for reading/reviewing; if I had the time I'd thank you all personally. Enjoy!_

xxxxx

"What are you doing here," she was scared, but she tried to keep a straight face. This was not the Kevin she remembered, that she once loved. His hair was longer, and he had dark circles under his eyes.

"I should be asking you the same thing," he said, walking further into the house. Her gun followed him.

"This is Derek Morgan's house, is it not?"

She said nothing.

"Well, frankly, I shouldn't be surprised. I mean, you did leave me for him, didn't you?"

"Cut it with the bullshit, Kevin. You know that's not what happened."

"Oh, my mistake – it was him that stole you away from me, wasn't it? Your lover-boy, Derek."

"No, you're wrong. I was still with you, even when it was getting clearer and clearer that you had some kind of a problem, until decided to jeopardize the life of my best friend."

"Even then, you cared about him more than me!"

"_No_, Kevin! I loved you! But you hurt me by hurting one of my closest friends. Do you know how upset that made me? How embarrassing it was, for my boyfriend to do something so foolish? And the way you started to treat me? No, you don't even care. That hurt me, Kevin. It hurt me so badly. And it was so hard letting you go, but I can never forgive you for what you did. You're not the Kevin I loved." By then, she had started to cry out of anger and frustration.

_Meanwhile…_

"Hello?"

"Hotch, I need backup. The night watch officer was shot and I think Lynch is somewhere in the… oh, shit." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Penelope aiming the gun through the back window. She was talking to someone.

"Morgan? What happened?"

"Hotch, I gotta go. Get me backup as soon as you can." He clicked the phone shut. Hesitantly, he left the officer. He didn't have anything on him to stop the bleeding, but he had to go help Penelope.

He tried opening the back door, but it was locked. Muttering under his breath, he stepped back and kicked down the door. He took his gun out of his holster and walked into the living room quickly but quietly.

"Oh look, it's your Prince Charming, here to save the day. As always. And he's right on cue." He eyed Derek's gun. "Two can play that game," he said as he pulled out his own gun.

"Look, let's talk this out. But I need you to put your gun down first."

"No. I'm not letting you get away with this again."

"Get away with what?"

"You stole her away from me!"

"Yeah, you're right. I did steal her away from you." Penelope shot him a look.

Lynch looked surprised for a moment. "Well… I want her back!"

"And you can have her back. All you have to do is put the gun down, and she's all yours."

Lynch seemed to believe it for a minute, but then regained his composure. He looked at Derek, then at Penelope, then back at Derek.

"Yeah, nice try… I don't trust you. I need to hear it from her." He jutted his chin in her direction.

"Fair enough. She'll tell you." She understood what he was doing now, but she looked at him nervously.

"Go on, tell him," Derek encouraged her.

"It's true," she said. "I've always wanted you."

"Yeah, well… What about him? Why'd you go off with him?"

"He was just… a distraction. I've always wanted you." She repeated.

Lynch looked panicky now. "You're lying."

"I swear, I'm not lying. I would never lie to you, Kevin."

Just then, the sounds of an ambulance and police cars could be heard in the distance. Lynch looked out the window in surprise. Hotch, Reid, Prentiss, and Rossi all came in through the back door, guns aiming at Lynch. He whipped around.

"You lied! You're all lying! This is all a big joke!"

"Drop the gun, Lynch." Hotch ordered.

"I'll-I'll shoot him!" his gun was aimed at Derek.

"Look at your odds. It's all of us against you. Take your pick."

"But – "

"It's over, Lynch. I'll tell you one last time. Drop the gun."

"No!"

As soon as he had raised his gun, everything seemed to happen at once.


	15. The Aftermath

_**A/N: **__Hi guys! I am so sorry for the wait, again – especially with the cliffhanger. For some reason it took me super long to write this chapter. But, nevertheless, here it is. Thank you all so much for your reviews, by the way. It really means a lot to me. Enjoy! :)_

XXXXX

Everything seemed to happen all at once. The minute Lynch raised his gun, Hotch took his shot. Penelope watched him collapse onto the ground, and Hotch ran over to check his pulse.

"He's dead."

_Dead. He's dead_, she thought, unable to come to terms with this news. Without realizing it, she dropped the gun she was holding as a tear slid down her face. Then another one and another one... Derek put his gun away and rushed over to her just as soon as the tears began streaming down her face, wrapping his arms around her tightly. She collapsed into his arms and just cried.

"It's over, baby," he whispered. "It's over."

The rest of the team watched them sympathetically from across the room.

"I think they need some... alone time." Rossi said. Prentiss nodded unsurely, but followed him out of the house, Reid close behind them.

"Are you coming, Hotch?" Reid turned around to ask him.

He nodded. "I'll just be a minute." Hotch walked over to the two of them. He looked Derek in the eye.

"If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Thanks, man. I appreciate it." He said.

Hotch nodded and walked away, and went to go leave with the rest of the team. By then, Lynch's body had been covered and taken out by paramedics; one ambulance had already left with the wounded officer while another one was getting ready to leave. Within ten minutes, everyone had left. Penelope had stopped crying, but Derek continued to hold her.

"Derek... I can't be here..." she whispered. "Not after all of this."

He agreed. "Do you want to go stay at your place tonight?"

She shook her head. "No... I just want to go somewhere... else."

"Well... Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere... Anywhere but here." She stared at him pleadingly. He looked at her with concern. He really hated seeing her upset.

"Okay." He said quietly. "We'll go somewhere else."

"Thank you," she whispered. Derek pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head.

XXXXX

About twenty minutes later, Derek had packed a bag or two and was now driving to downtown D.C. to find a hotel to stay at. He understood why Penelope had wanted to leave, but he couldn't help but to be worried about her. She was being awfully quiet, and he wished that she would talk to him, instead of keeping things bottled up. Although it had been a traumatic experience for the both of them, Derek was glad that Lynch could never bring any more harm to Penelope than he already had.

XXXXX

Once they had arrived at a hotel, they checked in and got settled in their room. Derek let Penelope shower first, and when he returned from his, he found her sitting in bed, staring at the TV – but the volume wasn't even loud enough to hear. Concerned, he walked over and sat on the bed next to her. He turned off the TV, but she still continued to stare at it.

"I was watching that," she mumbled without looking at him.

"Hey," he gently turned her head so that she was facing him. "Talk to me, baby."

She looked down. "I keep thinking about what might have happened if the team hadn't gotten there in time..."

"Sweetheart—"

"He could've killed you, Derek! You could have been gone, forever! You know, if I wasn't so stubborn, none of this wouldn't have happened. I wouldn't have gotten shot, and I wouldn't have met Lynch. If I wasn't so stubborn I would have told you that I loved you a long, long time ago. Because I've always loved you, Derek. I always have and I always will. Even when I was dating Lynch, I still loved you more than him. Despite everything that has happened since the day that I met you, you've always been there for me. You're always looking out for me and you'd do anything to protect me, even though I've told you repeatedly that I don't need it. You're the one that I am thankful for every day of my life because you're the only person in my life that makes me feel truly special. I couldn't live without you, Derek. And the fact that my actions have jeopardized your life kills me inside because I never, ever want to lose you and if I did I don't know how I'd be able to go on with my life." Her eyes were wide and pain stricken as tears streamed down her face.

Unable to respond for a moment, Derek wiped the tears off of her face.

"Penelope, don't ever think that any of this was your fault. Lynch was the one who decided to jeopardize my life, not you. I'm never going anywhere without you, baby. And even if someone did decide to take my life, I would be right up outside of those gates, waiting for you. Even in heaven, I would be miserable without my baby girl."

"Really?" she said quietly.

"Of course," he put his arm around her as she leaned back on his chest. "Don't worry, baby. One day this will all be in the past."

"I hope so." She whispered. Derek tilted her chin up to kiss her slowly.

"I love you, Penelope."

"I love you, too."

XXXXX

A couple of hours later, after Penelope had fallen asleep, Derek decided to call his mom. Penelope seemed to be having a tough time coping, and he needed some advice. For once, he didn't have any plan or solution, and it bothered him.

"Hello?"

"Hi, mom."

"Derek, I appreciate you calling but, it's awfully late... is everything okay?"

He sighed. "Well, everything's... fine now, I guess; but a lot's been going on lately..."

"Why, what happened?"

He told her what had happened earlier that day.

"Oh my goodness, that's terrible! Are you both alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine... Penelope's asleep right now but she seems to be having a difficult time coping. The past couple of days have been pretty tough for her."

"Poor girl... Are you taking good care of her?"

"I always do, mom."

She paused for a moment. "You seem to really love her, Derek."

"I do." He looked down at the woman sleeping next to him. "I love her very much."

"I've never heard you say that about anyone, ever."

He smiled. "She's... special. She's very important to me."

"Derek, I think you two should come up for a visit."

He ran his hand along the back of his head. "I don't know, mom... that might just stress her out."

"Why? She sounds like a lovely girl."

"She is... but she's always trying to impress everybody, and she doesn't always feel good enough, even though she is."

"Well, at least think about it, Derek. You both sound like you're in need of a break from all of this, and if you're looking to get away for a couple of days, why not come here? It'll be good to get your minds occupied for a bit."

"Well, I guess you're right... I'll see how it goes in the morning. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Alright, honey."

"Bye, mom."

XXXXX

"Good morning, baby girl," Derek whispered into her ear.

Half-asleep, Penelope rolled over to look at him. "It is now."

He grinned at her as she curled up closer to him.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked her.

"Surprisingly, yes... I guess I'm just relieved that all of this is over."

"Me too, sweetheart." He gave her a small smile. "Do you wanna go get some breakfast downstairs?"

"That would be good." She returned his small smile.

XXXXX

After they had placed their orders, Derek thought that it would be a good time to bring up visiting his mother.

"Hotch is letting us take a couple days off... and I thought that maybe we could go somewhere."

She glanced up at him. "Like where?"

"Well, I was on the phone with my mom last night, and I was thinking that maybe we should go up for a visit."

Her eyes widened slightly. "A visit, as in visiting your mom?"

He nodded.

"But... why do you want to go with me? We've only been dating for a month."

"Well, yes, but, I've known you for much longer than that. And my mom is dying to meet you." He smiled.

"Well... I don't know..."

He studied her for a moment, and took her hand. "What's the matter, baby?"

She pouted. "I hate profilers..." she sighed. "Am I not allowed to be nervous about meeting your family?"

"There's nothing to be nervous about, sweetheart."

"Uh, yeah! What if they don't like me?"

"Don't be silly. Everyone loves you, Penelope."

She thought for a moment. "Point taken."

He grinned. "So is that a yes?"

She smiled. "I'll book our tickets tonight."

He squeezed her hand. "This will mean a lot to my mom. Thanks, baby girl."

"Mmmhmm..." she smiled as she leaned in to give him a kiss.


	16. Chicago

_**A/N: **__Hi everyone! Hope this wasn't too long of a wait. There are about two or three chapters left of this series – I'm really excited to finish! Enjoy! :)_

XXXXX

"What if she doesn't like me?"

Derek sighed heavily. This had been going on for the past hour or so – during the whole plane ride, up until now, when they were driving from the airport.

"Baby, I love you. But you need to calm down."

"But—"

"Okay, look. My mom isn't one of those 'picky parents'. You make me happy, and that makes her happy. And besides, what's not to like? Everyone loves you. Honestly, the worst scenario that could happen is that she asks you about her future grandbabies or something."

At this, she turned bright red.

He grinned at the colour of her cheeks. "It's going to be just fine, don't you worry."

Penelope looked at him sheepishly. "God, I'm really sorry, Derek. I'm just... stressed."

"I know, baby. It's alright. Just please try to relax a little, okay?" he squeezed her hand.

"I'll try." Derek was already making her feel more relaxed.

He kept his eyes on the road for a moment. "I worry about you, you know."

She frowned at him. "I'm perfectly fine, Derek."

"I know, I just... need you to be safe." He paused. "I love you, you know that right?"

Penelope smiled slightly, remembering the first time he had said that to her.

"I love you, too."

XXXXX

"Derek?" Penelope looked slightly uneasy as he finished unloading their luggage from their rented car. He walked over to where she stood.

"It's going to be just fine, baby girl." He said as he reached for her hand and squeezed it gently.

She looked unsure. "I hope so."

XXXXX

"Hello! Come in, come in!" Fran Morgan ushered the couple inside her apartment.

"I'm so glad you came for a visit!" she hugged her son ferociously, and she stepped back after a moment.

"And you must be Penelope." She smiled, and embraced her as well.

"It's nice to meet you," Penelope said once she pulled away.

"It's nice to meet you, too – I've heard lots about you." Fran eyed Derek, and Penelope's cheeks turned pink.

"Mom, really?" he groaned.

"Shh, I'm just teasing," she smiled, and led them further inside. "Now, I'll let you two get settled – Derek, your sisters should be here for dinner soon."

He nodded and grabbed their bags, leading Penelope in the direction of the guest room. He opened the door and put the bags on the bed. The room was on the smaller side, but it was comfortable and nicely decorated. Her eyes wandered around the room briefly, her gaze ending at Derek. She gave him a tired look.

"Now was that so bad?"

She took a few steps to close the distance between them, leaning against him. "We just got here, Derek." She mumbled into his chest. He chuckled slightly and took her face into his hands.

"You'll be great, red."

She gave him a sceptical look. "Sure." She buried her face into his shoulder this time. "Whatever you say." He grinned at her blunt sarcasm and put his arms around her.

"What's wrong, sweetie? Cat got your tongue?" he teased.

"Ha-ha. Very funny. I'm just tired."

"Aww, poor baby."

"Mmm." Was all that she managed to get out.

Just then, the doorbell rang. They both groaned and pulled away, intertwining their hands through each other's.

"Why'd you groan?" she asked him.

"Because, they're gonna embarrass me," he pouted.

She smiled mischievously. "This suddenly just got more interesting."

XXXXX

"I see you've made some new friends," Derek grumbled as the two of them got settled into their bed.

Penelope giggled. "Aww, I'm sorry baby, but you were just _too _funny. Honestly. And those baby pictures with you and your fro? Priceless. What happened to all that hair?" she teased.

He sighed.

"I don't know what I was so nervous about! Your family is great," she gushed.

He muttered something unintelligible and turned out the lamp.

"Oh, come on, don't be such a grump. You know I love you."

He mumbled something else that she couldn't understand.

"You don't?" she joked.

He grunted and turned his back away from her.

"Hey!" she leaned over his shoulder. "You don't love me?" she pouted and pretended to act hurt.

He turned back over so that their faces were inches apart. "Of course I love you."

"Yay," she grinned, and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Good night, handsome."

"Good night, my gorgeous girl."


	17. Surprises

_**A/N: **__Hello everyone! :) I'm sorry I dropped off the face of the earth for a little while; I was on vacation. But anyway, here's the next chapter! Hope you guys like it. I kind of obsessed over proofreading it. xD Enjoy, and thank you for reading/reviewing!_

XXXXX

_14 months later..._

"Where are we _going?_" Penelope asked him impatiently, frustrated but curious as to why he wouldn't tell her.

"You'll see," he looked at her with a gleam in his eyes and a knowing grin spread across his face.

"Ugh." She gave up and stared out the window, admiring the array of large houses that they were passing by. Instead of returning to his house, Derek had driven off in the opposite direction of where they lived. And she had no idea where they were going. It was around dusk – they had just gone out for dinner at her favourite restaurant. He had even made reservations for a certain table and everything. It's not like it was a special occasion – their anniversary was three months ago and her birthday was months away.

As they continued to drive past more houses, Penelope started to get more and more anxious. She had been in this area before – it was around where JJ lived. But they were just going further into the residential area, and she was slowly starting to lose her patience.

"Okay, we're almost there," Derek finally said. "But you have to close your eyes."

"What?" she looked at him as if he were nuts.

"Come on, please?"

"Why?"

"Because it'll ruin it!"

"Ruin what?"

"Just do it, okay?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Ugh, fine." She shut her eyes unwillingly. "I feel like an idiot!"

He laughed. "You'll thank me later."

She sighed. "This better be good."

He turned once to the right, and the car came to a stop. He helped her out of the car and led her up a few steps.

"No peeking," he teased as she heard him unlocking a door.

"You have some explaining to do." Derek grinned as he took her hand and walked her inside. He shut the door behind them.

"You can open your eyes now," he said as he walked up beside her.

Her eyes fluttered open. She blinked a couple times and looked around, letting out a tiny gasp. Although empty, the house was beautiful. They stood in the middle of a large foyer. Right down the centre was a large staircase, and on the other side was what she assumed to be living room space. And above them, hung a stunning chandelier.

"Where are we...?" her expression was a mixture of awe and confusion.

"Your new house."

Her mouth flopped open. "What?"

"We're moving in in two weeks."

"What! You can't be serious! It's so gorgeous! It's just like a castle." She beamed happily.

"A castle, fit for my princess," he smiled, admiring the house himself. "I had it custom built, just for you."

She stopped. "You didn't."

He grinned. "I did."

"Oh... Derek..." her voice trailed off, barely audible. "This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me." She walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You're unbelievable. You know that, right? Absolutely ridiculous." He smiled as her lips met his for a moment. She pulled away and stared into his eyes. "Thank you. I love it, I really do."

"I'm glad you like it." He paused for a moment. "Let's go for a walk." Their fingers laced through each other's automatically. He led her around the right side of the kitchen; behind it was the kitchen. It faced the back wall of the house, which had a large window spread across most of it, with two glass doors fixated in the center. Penelope couldn't believe it – it was the nicest house she'd ever been in, and it was theirs.

They walked through the glass doors onto a large granite courtyard that overlooked the rest of the backyard.

"Wow..." she said. "Derek, this house is so beautiful."

He smiled at her, trying not to be nervous about what he was about to do. "I was hoping you'd think so."

They started to walk slowly up the middle of the courtyard, still holding hands. Derek had gone over this so many times in his head. He didn't want to mess this up; it had to be perfect.

"I remember the first time I realized that I had fallen for you," he said, looking at the pink sky in the distance, then back at her.

"It was when we were on that case with the CIA, years ago. You called us and one of the agents said, 'Morgan, your girlfriend's back!'. I brushed it off. I realized later that I wouldn't have minded calling you that," he grinned sheepishly. "But I never would have admitted it, 'cause I was still acting like a 'player'..."

Penelope listened intently, wondering where he was going with this.

"But when you first told me about Battle, I thought I had been too late. I was surprised that you had taken my advice, and that's why I said those things..." he shook his head. "I didn't mean to say them. Even back then, I still would've crossed a crowded room to hit on you. But I was too self-centered to admit it. And when Lynch came into the picture, I wasn't sure what to think. I didn't know how long it would last for. You seemed happy with him, so I tried to move on. But nothing ever lasted. They just weren't you, baby girl."

"By then, I thought I was doomed. My mom had been bugging me for years about not keeping any of my girlfriends, and how I owe her grandbabies..." he laughed. "And now that I think about it, getting shot was a blessing in disguise. It may have been tough, but it brought me closer to you. I'm thankful for that every day. You're my best friend, Penelope. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He got down on one knee, and opened the small box he held in his hand, revealing the stunningly beautiful diamond engagement ring inside.

"Will you marry me?"


	18. Je t'aime

_**A/N: **__Hi guys! I'm so sorry that this took so long. I had the worst writer's block for this chapter. But anyway, here it is. Basically just a cute little chapter. The big huge chapter is _probably _next. I'm still not quite sure about what I want to do yet. It might take me forever to write the next chapter since I am starting high school tomorrow... but I promise I won't forget about it! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! Enjoy :)_

XXXXX

Penelope's mouth hung open in surprise, her hands flying up instantly to cover it. Within an instant, a rush of memories flooded her mind – the first time she had met Derek, how he had cared for her after she had been shot, the fear she had felt every time he had been in danger, the day that he told her he was in love with her, their first date, meeting his family, and everything in between. Every kiss, every laugh, every silly nickname, every touch, every 'I love you'; every single word shared between them. And that was when she realized it – Derek Morgan was the love of her life. And he was kneeling right in front of her, on the property of their own house, asking her to be his wife.

"Oh my goodness... Derek..." she barely managed, fumbling for the right words – suddenly realizing that he was still anticipating an answer from her. She snapped out of it.

"Yes! Yes, of course I'll marry you!" Derek stood up and slid the ring onto her ring finger.

"Wow..." she beamed. "It's beautiful."

She wrapped her arms around his neck; his went around her waist.

"We're getting married," she grinned happily.

"And it's about damn time." He returned her smile. She looked deep into his eyes, holding onto the moment – a moment that she would cherish for the rest of her life.

"I love you so much."

"I love you, too, baby girl," he leaned in closer. "More than anything." He whispered across her lips before completely closing in the distance between them. They pulled away after a moment, both feeling breathless. There was a look in Penelope's eyes that Derek knew all too well. They were both thinking the same thing.

"Come on," Derek took her hand in his. "Let's go."

XXXXX

The next morning, Derek was awaken by the sunlight that was just starting to come in through the windows. Penelope had fallen asleep his arms. But she just looked so content there that he didn't even bother getting out of bed. Instead, he stayed exactly where he was, enjoying the tranquil silence of the morning. It was nice to have this kind of peace of mind for once. He looked down at the woman asleep on his chest admiringly, reminiscing about the previous night.

Penelope squirmed upwards so that she was level with Derek, nestling her head into the crook of his neck; her arms still wrapped tightly around his torso. Derek smiled and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, snuggling into her embrace. It was those kinds of moments that he had learned to love. Those quiet mornings after spending the night making love to his woman, his soul mate, and falling asleep in each other's arms; feeling like they were the only two people in the world. Just him and her. It was the little moments like that when he realized how lucky he really was. They made him realize how fortunate he was to have such a strong, devoted, and passionate relationship. Those were the moments that made him feel truly happy – and before he met Penelope, that was one emotion that he hadn't been too familiar with. She had brought happiness into his life – and for that, he would be forever grateful.

XXXXX

A little while later, Derek stirred, realizing that he had somehow managed to fall back asleep; yawning as he faded back into consciousness. Penelope followed suit, squirming around for a moment, until her eyes suddenly fluttered open; her gaze fixed upon him.

"Good morning, princess," he greeted her softly.

"_Oui, c'est vrais... c'est un __très__ bon matin, mon cher_."

He shook his head at her, grinning. "You drive me crazy, you know that?"

She shrugged innocently. "I'm just trying to help you with your French."

He looked puzzled. "Baby, why on earth would I ever need help with my French?"

"_Because_," she said knowingly, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "We're going honeymooning in France."

Derek looked baffled. "Since when?"

"Since now."

"Ohh no. Uh-uh. There is _no _way we are going honeymooning in France. I was thinking of somewhere more... tropical... like the Bahamas..."

Penelope rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, Derek. That is so... been-there-done-that. You need to think _outside _of the box. Just picture it. We could spend a week on the coast... then we could go to Paris for a week... go see the Eiffel Tower... go see a show at Moulin Rouge... take a night cruise along the Seine," she grinned. "So? What do you think?"

He paused for a moment; smiling at the thought of the two of them in Paris together. Honestly, he would be happy going anywhere with Penelope. But on second thought, France didn't sound half bad.

"Alright, fine. You win. But on one condition."

She raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"You're doing all the talking while we're there."

She laughed, hitting him playfully with the back of her hand. "You are such a goof. I'm getting you a French-English dictionary."

Derek groaned. She grinned, satisfied. "So... who are we gonna tell first?" she asked him, on a slightly more serious note.

He thought for a moment. "Well, I was hoping that we could call my mom on Skype at some point today... And as for everyone else... I guess they'll just have to wait until the engagement party." He smiled deviously.

"Ooh, I like the sound of that... but you do know that as my best friends, JJ and Emily have a legal obligation to be immediately informed of any changes in my martial status, right?"

He grinned. "Yes, Penelope."

"Okay, good." She said, studying him for a moment. "Want to know your first French lesson?"

"Sure. Why not."

"_Je t'aime_." She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I love you," her eyes lit up as she said those three words.

Neither of them said a word for a moment, both lost in each other's eyes. Derek gently ran his finger down her cheek.

"I love you, too, baby girl. More than you will ever know."


End file.
